Back Again
by Invader Krag
Summary: I won't tell you much, cause I don't want to spoil it. It's a drama, and it involves our favorite couple...somewhat. There's another couple involved as well, but can they all work out their differences? Not what you might think. R/R.
1. Chapter One

-Chapter One-  
  
  
Her ears popped as the jet changed altitude. She never really liked flying, unless she was going somewhere that excited her. It sort of made the trip worthwhile if she had something to look forward to as the plane slowed down on the runway. This was not the case now. She wanted to go, yes, but there was a certain aspect of her future surroundings that she absolutely detested. But, here she was, on the plane anyway.   
  
Her ears got worse, and she squirmed around in her seat. What were those tricks to get rid of popped ears? She tried yawning, but it didn't work. She tried taking a drink of her Pepsi the flight attendant brought her with her dinner of teriyaki chicken, but to no avail. Finally, she plugged her nose, and tried to exhale sharply out of it, and her ears reverted to their normal state, although it left a nigh inaudible ring in her ears. She sighed, but the rumbling of the plane drowned it out.  
  
The man in the seat next to her was apparently a businessman, because he had a large briefcase and a tie. He was fast asleep, and snoring loudly, but thankfully she couldn't her it that well because of the plane. Underneath the food trays, the corner of the briefcase was digging into the woman's shin, and she feebly tried to move it. There must have been some sort of project, or display, made out of metal inside the case, because it wouldn't budge. The woman sighed again. It was once more drowned out.  
  
She reached up and turned on the reading light above her head. It was not a strong light, but it was sufficient. She pulled out her carry on, a large box, secured with yarn tied around the sides and top of the box. She undid the yarn, and opened the box. For the first time in hours, she smiled. A large book was inside the box, entitled "The Complete Works of Shakespeare." She opened to a marked page, and sighed for the third time. Such memories contained within these pages, and they reminded her of other memories. What a fool she had been to give it all up.  
  
She read over the pages of Romeo and Juliet, as she had done countless times before. She relived in her mind the swordfight where Mercrucio was killed, the balcony scene with the many goodnights, and the tomb scene at the very end, with the two lovers having killed themselves in anguish of each other's apparent deaths.  
  
The woman looked out the window to her left, and gazed down at the beautiful city before her. Puget Sound stretched out to the horizon, and houselights flicked on and off. A voice announced that they were soon to be landing at Sea-Tac airport, and to fasten seatbelts. The woman sighed for the fourth and last time, but this time it was in relief that the trip was finally over. Unfortunately, the hard part was yet to come.  
  
As she left the plane and got into the connecting "hallway" of sorts, she noticed the temperature change from the sweltering hot cabin of the plane to the cold, wet atmosphere of Seattle, Washington. She could hear the rain pattering on top of the makeshift hallway, and sighed. For the first time that evening, she heard her voice, without it being drowned out by the droning of the jet engine. It sounded strained, broken. Far from what it used to be, back in the good old days. There was too much disappointment in her life for her voice to sound happy. Sure, she had good employment, some of the best you can get, but she never quite got over -   
  
Best not to dwell on those thoughts. The woman shook her head, and listened to the rain again. How…stereotypically Seattle. Her friends had told her many times that Seattle wasn't as wet as people make it out to be. Some people told her that it rained all the time. Either way, she knew it was going to be a lot different from Hilwood, the last place she saw -   
  
No. She mustn't. That was all behind her. At least until she got…there. All that mattered now was to get…there…and leave the emotional breakthroughs to the others. She was strong. She could get through this mentally unscathed.  
  
She passed through customs, not even thinking about the inconveniences it caused, almost floating.  
  
BEEPEEP.  
  
The metal detector. It awoke the woman from her mental stupor temporarily.  
  
"Miss, if you would please empty your pockets?"  
  
She hardly ever put anything in her pockets. It didn't seem necessary. But some items…she wanted to keep close to her heart. She sighed for the fifth time and pulled out the object from her breast pocket. It was a locket. A golden, heart-shaped locket. Slightly scuffed, but also treated with great care. It was almost inconceivable how both could be perceived on one object, but it was. It was as if someone had half beaten upon it, and half loved and polished it. She hesitated before handing it to the customs official, and went through the gate. No beeps this time.  
  
That locket…so many memories locked away inside of it. It was one of the only things left that reminded her of…well, that wouldn't matter now. She'd be remedying that soon enough. It was the other hole in her heart that needed a remedy…but that would never come.  
  
"Oh, there I go again with those thoughts…" she mumbled to herself. She soon returned to her floating state, and picked up her bags and went outside.  
  
Immediately she realized her folly in not bringing an umbrella. It hadn't connected before, on the plane and in the connecting hallway, that she would have to face the rain, face to face. Oh well. It suited her mood, anyway. Maybe that's why people are able to live here…they're all miserable wrecks.  
  
"No, that's just my cynical humor kicking in again."  
  
She never really was a cynic before…she left. Sure, she was pessimistic sometimes, but never a true cynic. She stepped out into the rain, and walked to the bus stop. It wasn't too far away, but it was raining hard. She felt relief when she boarded the metro and found a seat near the back.  
  
Her hair was wet. She ran her fingers through it, disgruntled. Wet hair can bring down even the lightest of moods. When she finished "drying" her hair with her hands, she suddenly felt something near her neck - ….a hood.  
  
"Figures I'd forget my own coat has a hood when I need it most…"  
  
The bus took her to the general area of her destination. When she got off, she was in Magnolia, which was mostly on a large hill. There was a nice view at the top…it figures that's where she'd find them. She looked at a piece of paper that she pulled out from her pocket, and followed the address printed on it.  
  
"Well, here goes."  
  
This was the hardest part. It would seem that something like knocking on the door would be simple, but not when you don't know what you'll find behind it. Sure, she knew WHO, but she had no idea how they'd react to her arrival. They'd invited her…but why? She walked up to the door…and knocked.  
  
There was a short pause. The door slowly opened, and revealed a tall woman of good build, who had a wide eyed expression on her face.  
  
"P-Pheebs?" The wide-eyed woman asked, incredulous.  
  
"Helga?" the woman in the pouring rain asked, equally incredulous.  
  
"Come in…It's…been too long."  
  
  
  
  
  
Well? Do you like it? Did I surprise you? HAHA! Heh. Well, r/r, and maybe I'll write more....heh. I hope you like it, cause I love writing it. I warn you, however, I won't be the quickest to update, because I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, if you know what I mean.  
-I. Krag 


	2. Chapter Two

-Chapter Two-  
  
  
  
"So, er, Arnold. How've you been?"  
  
Arnold sat in his living room. It wasn't really a living room, according to the brochure. Supposedly, it was a sitting room. There were two of these sitting rooms, and one master living room. On top of that there was a foyer, which he had no idea what it was, and continued to pronounce it fo-yur, a large bedroom, a guest room, a dining room, and even a game room. It all seemed so extremely frivolous to him, but who was he to argue? Not many houses also come with a view like his, and also…the room.  
  
It was the room that clinched the decision. He had to have it. It was…an inspiration. Things hadn't been doing so well since he quit his old job. He had money, yes, he could retire if he wanted to, but who wanted to at 25? Besides, he had the rest of his life ahead of him.  
  
Even though this should make him gut-burstingly happy, it was pushed aside in his brain so he could concentrate on the matters at hand. As of right now, he was far from fine.  
  
"Fine."  
  
The one who had spoken was Ernie Potts. Ernie was getting old, but he could still wield a wrecking ball like a pro. He started a demolition business, and got the reputation for being the most efficient one in town. As soon as he got enough money, he high-tailed it out of the boarding house and got himself a nice bit of real estate in the wealthier end of town. Never once looked back. Of course, he sent letters, but he hardly ever came to visit anyone anymore. This was a unique occasion.  
  
"Alright." He said.  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"No you're not. How could you be?"  
  
Susie. Of course. She was the only woman in the group clustered in the living room, er, sitting room. Stereotypically speaking, she would be the most sensitive and caring of the group. Realistically speaking, that was entirely true.  
  
Susie sat with Oskar, who was busy twiddling his thumbs. The Kokoshkas had stayed at the boarding house longer than any of the other original boarders. They still fought, and even tossed cutlery, but they always stayed together. Oskar went from job to job for a while, but finally found a steady income at Potts' Wrecking Co., and needless to say, he had to swallow his pride to apply. Ernie almost had a heart attack from laughing, but gave him the job anyway, stating that if he didn't, Oskar'd probably keep leeching off of other people, and that he was doing the community a favor by hiring him. Everyone, including Oskar, knew he originally hired him for laughs, but Oskar proved he could work, and so Ernie kept him.  
  
"No, really, I'm fine." Said Arnold in a monotone voice. No one bought it.  
  
"Arnold, it's okay. We feel the same way."  
  
Mr. Hyunh. Ex-country singer. Never liked fame, or he would have been a millionaire. As it was, he was still middle class. Which was admirable, in the grand scheme of things, or as far as he was concerned, great. It was as he said, he likes the simple things. Ever since he put out his first and only album, he'd been saving up, and eventually he had enough to buy a modest house in the northern part of town for him and Mai, who eventually moved out and became a teacher at PS119.  
  
"No, but really Mr. Hyunh, I'm great. Does anyone want any refreshments?" Arnold said, changing the subject. Oskar sat up as if to answer him, but Suzie pushed him back down, giving him the squinty eyes. A new figure walked into the room, but was much younger than almost everyone else. "How about you, Gerald? Want anything?"  
  
Gerald trailed an eye over him, inspecting him. "I'll get it myself, don't get up…"  
  
"Oh, but that's quite alright, I'll get you some. Here, show me what you want." Arnold stressed the last sentence, and finally Gerald caught the hint.  
  
"Oh…alright. Sure."  
  
They walked out of the sitting room and made their way to the kitchen, neither of them saying a word. They looked everywhere but at each other, until Gerald finally opened the door into the kitchen, and walked inside. Arnold closed the door behind them.  
  
"Arnold, they don't buy it, I don't buy it. I know you better than that." Arnold fidgeted, and slowly opened the refrigerator to look for something. Gerald sighed and leaned against the counter. "It's not good for you to act like this. You know that. That's what you'd have told anyone else, but when you finally have a problem, you can't handle it, is that it?"  
  
Arnold stopped rummaging in the refrigerator for a moment, and then continued after a short pause. Gerald shook his head.  
  
"You're gonna have to confront this sooner or later, and I say get it out now, before it builds up and explodes in front of everyone. You know we have two more guests to show up."  
  
At this, Arnold shut the refrigerator and cast a quizzical eye over his friend. "Two more?"  
  
"Well, three more, but one is already here. I don't know what's taking her, she just got here…"  
  
"Who?" Arnold asked. Suddenly the door to the kitchen flew open.  
  
"I think he's talking about me."  
  
Arnold stared as Helga walked in silently, in contrast to her entrance, and leaned against the counter opposite Gerald.  
  
"You." Arnold said, and continued rummaging through the refrigerator. Helga's shoulders slumped, and she turned to look at Gerald. He closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
"Yeah…me."  
  
"Why?" asked Arnold, not moving a bit to even look her in the eyes.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine, Football-Head." Helga said, slowly averting her gaze to the ceiling. Arnold turned to look at her, and then once again proceeded with his fruitless activity. "You're going to lose a lot of energy just keeping that door open, you know."  
  
Arnold stood slowly, and slammed the refrigerator door shut. He stormed out of the room and slammed the kitchen door as well.  
  
A silence hung in the air as Gerald and Helga stood alone, looking at their feet.  
  
"Boom." Said Gerald. Helga looked at him and nodded slightly, before examining the floor tiles again. "Who was at the door?"  
  
"Pheebs. She was hanging her coat." Helga said, just as Phoebe walked in.  
  
"I…heard the…door slam." She said, continuing the trend of staring at the floor. She leaned on the only counter that wasn't being leaned upon, and it became silent once again.  
  
Helga decided this was as good a time as any to examine the people in the room with her.  
  
Gerald only used to seem tall because of his hair, but that was different now. His hair only stuck up a few inches, and actually looked quite handsome on him. He looked somewhat like his dad, she noticed, the muscles, the authoritative aura. Gerald always had a detectable soft side, however, and, like always, it was apparent in his mannerisms. He wasn't a "muscleman", or a "beefcake", but he was…attractive in a different, more sensitive sort of way. Phoebe obviously still thought so. Helga spied her staring at him as well.  
  
Phoebe had grown into her figure quite well. Being of Asian decent, she was not as tall as some, but she made up for that in other ways. She looked fragile, like a china teacup, but also experienced and wise. Her hair was cut short around her ears, and fell loosely around her neck. In a way, she hadn't changed much visibly since Helga had seen her last, but it was the way she acted that was different. Before, she was passive and unsure of herself, but now there was an obvious difference. She held herself up like someone who had fallen many times, and picked themselves up many times as well. Her eyes, circled by her small glasses, also implied her self-assuredness, and Helga was intrigued. However, this was not the time, nor the place.  
  
Then Helga's eyes wandered to herself. She was tall, yes, but not much had changed. She, of course, matured during the eight years since she'd moved away, and even during the few years before, but she still looked the tomboy. She wore comfortable clothes, but not very girlish clothes, and her hair was cut to chest level. But she still gave off the idea that she was not someone to be reckoned with. The pigtails were gone, and so was her ribbon…sort of. If there was one thing she never showed anyone, it was that pinned on the inner side of the inner pocket of her coat, she still kept it. Close to her heart.  
  
The three momentarily locked eyes, and then Gerald beckoned them into the sitting room with the other guests. Arnold was sitting in his chair, and no one was saying a word. The former boarders looked up at them as they entered, but then lapsed back into thought. Helga and Phoebe exchanged a glance, and then sat down next to each other on the couch, also thinking deeply. Gerald coughed slightly, and it echoed around the room, making everyone jump.  
  
"Well, we're only waiting for one more guest, and the lawyer who's going to read the will, and then…we'll read the will."  
  
As soon as he finished talking, there was a knock on the door. Gerald went to see who it was, and then another door opened, revealing yet another figure.  
  
Grandpa Phil was finally starting to lose the spring in his step. He could still bench press 100 pounds, but at 97, one tends to either be dead, or at least very decrepit. Phil was neither, but he was quickly hurtling down to the decrepit end of the spectrum. He puttered in, glanced at Helga, and chuckled. Then he sat down in a large plush chair, and stared at the ceiling, almost asleep.  
  
"Quite the gathering, eh?" He said. Everyone glanced at him uneasily, but he was already snoring.  
  
Suddenly, the door flew open, revealing the final figure, Gerald in tow. The figure put away his umbrella, and grumbled to himself about something, and sat down abruptly next to Helga, who was staring wide-mouthed at him. He turned to look at her, and suddenly adopted a similar expression. Helga merely said one word.  
  
"Bob."  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry it's taken me so long, I was busy...I hope you like the rest of this story. Can you guess what's going on? You probably can...I didn't make it too hard. See ya!  
-I. Krag 


End file.
